Did You Know That Empathy And Active Listening Go Hand In Hand?

by | May 3, 2022

The Canadian Association of Mental Health has declared the first week of May to be Mental Health Week.

I thought I would put my extensive background in mental health to work for you and have extended Mental Health Week into Mental Health Month.

With the clients that I am working with, the leaders that I am coaching, the resilience training, and team retreats I have facilitated, it is so evident to me that mental health really needs to be addressed in a much bigger way.

CAMH has chosen Empathy as this year’s theme.

What does Empathy mean to you?

Many people feel like it is sharing their own feelings while someone else is sharing theirs.

However, a true sense of empathy is about holding the space for the person to share what they need to share. You don’t need to tell them your story and there does not need to be any back and forth.

Empathy is about ACTIVELY LISTENING.

For the next 7 days, why don’t you consider this: Why don’t you be an observer? Be like an owl and observe how you respond whether in your head or in your response when someone is sharing something important with you. Are you:

  • Thinking about how you can solve it?
  • Thinking about the tasks you still need to do?
  • Fully present?

My invitation to you is to be FULLY PRESENT.

Please feel free to share it with anyone who might need it. I feel like active listening is something that we need to continue to strengthen.

I’d love for you to share what you’ve learned about yourself as you’ve observed how you actively listen. A lot of us have become human doers where we keep pushing through even at our own expense or the expense of those relationships that matter most. We are so busy checking off our to-do list that we forget about the power of fully and actively listening.

The answers are within each of us. When you grant someone that space by really actively listening, it allows you to find those answers.

Have yourself a beautiful day!

And remember, YOU ARE A POWERHOUSE.

BE more kind to yourself.
BE more compassionate.
Be more forgiving.
Be more loving.

Cate
Resilient Leadership Speaker, Author, Coach & Retreat Facilitator

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